Portraits of Star Chefs 2010

A top German chef in Shanghai

Born in Hildesheim in 1966, star chef Stefan Stiller learnt his cooking skills from the bottom up, working in leading restaurants such as the ‘Fürstenhof’ in Celle and the ‘Goldener Pflug’ restaurant in Cologne, which at the time had three Michelin stars. He also worked with star chef Dieter Müller in the famous ‘Schweizer Stuben’ in Wertheim-Bettingen.

Stiller later worked as head chef for five years at the Grand Cru Restaurant in the ‘Gasthaus zur Kanne’ in Deidesheim in the Rhineland-Palatinate until, in summer 2004, he received an interesting offer from China asking him to set up the new Club Shanghai there. In August 2008 he set up on his own and opened Stiller’s Restaurant; this has since become one of the most fashionable eateries in the booming city of Shanghai and the ideal showcase for Stiller’s skilful combination of Asian flavours.

In First Class we will be serving a choice of exquisite appetizers: crabmeat and avocado timbale with green apple and roasted sesame; a goat’s cheese and tomato terrine with pesto and pine nuts; or a roulade of quail on spinach with marinated swede. For the main course, our passengers have a choice between four of Stiller’s signature dishes: slow-braised beef cheek with cauliflower purée and fried bread dumpling slices; grilled scallops with nutmeg and vanilla sauce, sugar snap peas, kidney beans, mushrooms and puréed peas; vegetable strudel with Asian soy jus, baby bok choy and shiitake mushrooms; and roasted guinea fowl with three kinds of tomatoes and pommes parisienne. The desserts are equally tempting: white coffee mousse with chocolate sorbet and red wine and espresso sauce; warm banana cake with caramel sauce and macadamia nut ice-cream; or an exquisite selection of cheeses.

In Business Class the choice of appetizers includes smoked mackerel with mango and papaya marmalade; Chinese noodle salad with prawns; and marinated breast of duck with pineapple chutney and ketjap manis. On the menu for the main course are fillet of zander in a chive sauce with lentils and mustard mashed potato, or blue cheese ravioli in a light gorgonzola sauce with walnuts. Szechuan chocolate tart with vanilla rhubarb rounds off this delicious in-flight meal. You can therefore look forward to a magnificent menu full of spices and flavours.